Plunger actuated switch construction



July 28, 1964 -J. J. KALEBA ETAL 3,142,742

PLUNGER ACTUATED SWITCH CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 3. 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. dose u J. KALEBA JAMES J.Weu.wooo

A-r-roauav v July 28, 1964 PLUNGER ACTUATED SWITCH CONSTRUCTION J. J. KALEBA ETAL 3,142,742

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 3, 1961 III] F\&.)

' INVENTOR.

JOSEPH J. KAL-EBA James d-WELLWOOD ATTORNEY u y 1964 J. J. RALEBA ETAL 3,142,742

PLUNGER ACTUATED SWITCH CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 3, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 34 28 MIMI INVENT 4-6 Josapn .LKAL A 2 4 James J.WELLW00\ BY Fm-l. \2 5 W ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,142,742 PLUNGER ACTUATED SWITCH CONSTRUCTHON .ioseph .l. Kaleba, Roselle, and James 3. Wellwood, Villa Park, 111., assignors to Controls Company of America, Schiiler Park, ill., a corperation of Delaware Filed Feb. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 86,973 10 Claims. (Cl. ZOO-15% This invention relates to a normally closed, plunger aclztuated switch of the type used in door jambs and the li 'e.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a low cost plunger actuated switch capable of handling a multiplicity of circuits.

Other objects and advantages will be pointed out in, or be apparent from, the specification and claims, as will obvious modifications of the single embodiment shown in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section showing the present switch as it would be mounted in use;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the switch;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on meandering line 33 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section taken as indicated by line 44 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a section taken as indicated by line 55 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a section taken as indicated by line 6-6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an end view of the housing per se as it would be viewed from the left in FIG. 8;

FIG. 7 is a vertical section of the housing per se;

FIG. 9 is a perspective of the terminal structure;

FIG. 10 is a detailed view of the groove into which the terminals are mounted;

FIG. 11 is a view from the rear of the mounting bracket; and

FIG. 12 is a section taken as indicated by line 1212 in FIG. 11.

Referring to the drawings in detail, housing It is pro vided with four equally spaced grooves 12 opening towards the rear (the right in FIG. 1) of the housing. Floor 14 of each groove is divided by rib 16 having a rearwardly facing bevelled face 18 leading from the surface of the floor to the top surface of rib 16 which in turn is flush with the surface of ledge 20 at the front portion of the grove. There is an opening at the front of each slot on each side of rib 16 and these openings 22 communicate with the interior of housing 10. The difference between the radial distance to surface 24 on the interior of the housing and the radial distance to floor 14 of the groove is substantially equal to the thickness of rail portions 26 of terminals 28.

Each terminal 23 includes cross piece 30 having projecting cars 32 and the side rails 26 with a central resilient tongue 34 formed between the rails. The rails are provided with integral upstanding sides 36, the tops of which are turned inwardly for reception of a spade terminal between the undersides of the inturned portions and the central tongue which, being resilient, is designed to resiliently retain the spade terminal in the terminal 28. It will be noted the side rails project a considerable distance and the provided with hook or latch portions 38.

The terminals are adapted to be mounted in the grooves by introducing the hook ends of the side rails into the open end of the groove. It will be noted the open groove ends are bevelled to cooperate with the curved portions of the hooks to force the side rails inwardly. As the terminal is moved into the groove the hook ends will pass through openings 22 between the groove and the housing interior until the hook portions can snap over 3,142,742 Patented July 28, 1964 shoulders 40 on the housing interior. When the terminal has thus been hooked it cannot be withdrawn. Ears 32 at this time are received in the undercut portion 42 at the side of the groove opening to keep the terminal flat on the bottom of the groove. While the terminal is being inserted the central tongue rides up bevelled face 18 of rib 16 to stress the tongue. The engagement of the ears 32 with the undercut 42 insures that this stress will be retained rather than lifting the terminal oif the bottom of the groove. This in turn insures adequate contact pressure with the spade terminal when it is inserted into terminal 28. It will be seen that this arrangement locks the terminal against further movement into the housing or movement out of the housing or movement oil the floor of the groove. Thus the terminal is positively located and properly stressed to insure good terminal connections. The inner hooked ends of the side rails are bent outwardly as may be seen in FIGS. 3 and 1 to insure against any damage to the shorting bar during assembly.

Three of the grooves are provided with terminals and the fourth is left blank. The flat surface 24 (see FIG. 4) at the blank groove is adapted to receive the grounding lug 44 projecting from mounting ring 46. The central opening in plate 48 is rolled over the inside opening of the mounting ring (as may be seen in FIGS. 11 and 12) to interconnect the clip and plate. The mounting ring is of spring steel and is provided with four rearwardly projecting mounting clips 50 each of which is adapted to ride up the flat surface 52 on the periphery of the housing leading to the lugs 54 the forward face of which is bevelled so as to earn the clip up over the lugs as the housing and plate and ring are assembled together. When assembled the aperture 56 in the clip drops over the lugs 54 to hold the plate to the housing. The edges of each mounting clip are tapered towards the rear so that when the assembled switch is mounted in a circular orifice in sheet metal the upturned wing portions 58 on the sides of each clip will be deflected downwardly as they pass through the mounting hole and will then spring back into position to resiliently retain the switch in the mounting hole. This may be seen in FIG. 3.

When the switch is assembled the mounting ring is aligned so that the grounding lug 44 is aligned with the blank groove. A spring 60 is mounted inside the housing and located by the central boss 62 in the rear end of the housing cavity. The front end of the spring fits over the boss 64 on the inner end of plunger 66 with shorting bar 68 held in place on the inner end of the plunger by the spring. The shorting bar has a central annular portion and four rearwardly projecting resilient arms 70 each of which lines up with the inside of one of the groove and terminal assemblies. When the plunger is in its outer position as in FIG. 1 one shorting bar arm will, of course, overlie the ground lug 44 while the other arms will overlie the inside portions of the side rails of the terminal assemblies. As viewed in FIG. 1 it will be apparent that the outward movement of the plunger is limited by the shoulder 72 on the plunger coming into contact with the central opening in the plate 48. In this position the shorting bar serves to connect each terminal assembly with the ground lug on the mounting ring which is in mechanical and electrical contact with the sheet metal of the vehicle body. Hence, when the plunger is in the projected position three circuits are completed. When the vehicle door is closed to push the plunger inwardly as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1 the shorting bar is moved rearwardly out of contact with the ground lug and with the inside exposed ends of the side rails of the terminal assemblies. To smooth the action of the plunger the inner ends of each shorting bar arm 70 are turned inwardly and the inside forwardly facing end of the rib 16 is bevelled.

It will be appreciated the present switch can accommodate three circuits or, if desired, but one or two circuits. The construction is such that the switch can be manufactured at very low cost, easily assembled in the factory and easily mounted in a door jamb. The terminals are fabricated at low cost and are positively locked with respect to the housing when assembled in the housing. The central tongue of each terminal is sufiiciently stressed to insure good contact pressure with the spade terminal which will be assembled to the female terminal. The stress built up in the tongue cannot move the terminal with respect to the housing since the terminal is locked both fore and aft and in a radial direction as well. The method of mounting the mounting ring to the housing to complete the assembly is very simple in that the same members which mount the housing to the ring also serve to mount the entire assembly to the vehicle body.

While the switch is shown as the normally closed type it will be appreciated that it could readily be of the normally open type. It will also be appreciated that the construction is not limited to the grounded case construc tion. Thus, ground lug 44 can be removed to insulate the shorting bar from the case and the terminals could then provide for single pole single throw to one, two or three separate circuits.

Although but one embodiment of the present inven tion has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A switch assembly comprising, a housing having a forwardly opening blind hole therein, peripherally spaced rearwardly opening grooves formed on the outside of the housing, the forward end of each groove opening into said hole in the housing, a terminal mounted in one of the grooves and having rail portions projecting into the interior of the housing through the opening at the forward end of the groove, a plunger in said hole, a ring having a central aperture through which the plunger projects, a ground plug rejecting from the ring into said hole, and a shorting bar carried by the plunger and contacting the rail portion and ground lug in one position of the plunger and being out of contact with the rail portion in another position of the plunger.

2. A switch assembly according to claim 1 in which the ring is provided with rearwardly projecting clips, lugs on the exterior of the housing, said clips engaging the lugs r to retain the ring on the housing, the sides of the clips being turned upwardly to circumscribe a circle of greater diameter than the hole in which the assembly is to be mounted.

3. A switch assembly comprising, a housing having a forwardly opening blind hole therein, peripherally spaced rearwardly opening grooves formed on the outside of the housing, the forward end of each groove opening into said hole in the housing, a terminal mounted in one of the grooves and having rail portions projecting into the interior of the housing through the opening at the forward end of the groove, said terminal also including laterally projecting ears and the sides of said groove being undercut for reception of said ears to hold the terminal flat against the fioor of the groove, a plunger in said hole, a shorting bar carried by the plunger and contacting the rail portions in one position of the plunger and being out of contact with the rail portion in another position of the plunger.

4. A switch assembly according to claim 3 in which the opening at the forward end of the groove is divided by a rib and the terminal includes a resilient tongue adapted to bear firmly against said rib when the terminal is assembled in the housing.

5. A switch assembly comprising, an insulating housing having a forwardly opening blind hole therein, peripherally spaced rearwardly opening grooves formed on the outside of the housing, the forward end of each groove opening into said hole in the housing, a terminal mounted in one of the grooves and projecting through the forward opening into the interior of the housing, a metal ring mounted on the front of the housing and having a ground lug projecting into said blind hole, a plunger mounted in said blind hole, a shorting bar carried by the plunger and contacting the terminal and the grounding lug in one position of the plunger and being moved out of contact with the terminal and grounding lug in another position of the plunger.

6. A switch assembly according to claim 5 in which the terminal fits snugly in said groove and has projecting rail portions projecting through the forward opening in the groove, the forward end of the rail portions having laterally projecting hook portions engaging a relieved portion on the interior of the housing to prevent withdrawal of the terminal, the sides of the groove being undercut, and projecting ears on the terminal projecting into the undercut sides of the groove to prevent the terminal from lifting from the floor of the groove.

7. A switch assembly according to claim 5 in which the metallic ring includes rearwardly projecting mounting clips and the housing is provided with outwardly projecting lugs with the forward surface of each lug being inclined to cam the clips outwardly as the ring is pressed towards the rear of the housing, each clip being apertured to receive a lug.

8. A switch assembly according to claim 7 in which the sides of each mounting clip extending upwardly so as to circumscribe the circle of greater diameter than the aperture in which the switch assembly is to be mounted.

9. A switch assembly comprising, a housing having a cavity therein, a plurality of terminals mounted on the housing and projecting into the cavity in a contact Zone, a metal mounting ring mounted on the housing and having a grounding lug projecting into the contact zone of the cavity, the ring having a central aperture, a plunger reciprocably mounted in the cavity and having an actuating portion projecting through the ring aperture, a shoulder on the plunger limiting actual movement of the plunger, an inwardly facing boss on the plunger, an annular shorting bar fitting over the boss, a spring fitting over the boss and holding the shorting bar against the shoulder and being compressed between the plunger and a wall of the cavity, the shorting bar being in the contact zone for contact with the terminals and shorting bar in one position of its travel.

10. A switch assembly including a housing having spaced radially projecting lugs thereon, a mounting bracket including resilient clips disposed to receive the housing therebetween, a ramp surface leading from the housing surface to the outermost lug surface and facing toward the bracket to cam the clips outwardly as the bracket is assembled to the housing, and the sides of each clip extending outwardly to circumscribe a circle of greater diameter than the hole in which the switch assembly is to be mounted whereby said sides are deflected inwardly by the movement of the clips through the hole.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,223,673 Catron et al. Dec. 3, 1940 2,640,970 Paige et al June 2, 1953 2,671,149 Hubbell et al. Mar. 2, 1954 2,682,038 Johnson June 22, 1954 2,720,634 Hart Oct. 11, 1955 2,814,697 Hutt Nov. 26, 1957 

1. A SWITCH ASSEMBLY COMPRISING, A HOUSING HAVING A FORWARDLY OPENING BLIND HOLE THEREIN, PERIPHERALLY SPACED REARWARDLY OPENING GROOVES FORMED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSING, THE FORWARD END OF EACH GROOVE OPENING INTO SAID HOLE IN THE HOUSING, A TERMINAL MOUNTED IN ONE OF THE GROOVES AND HAVING RAIL PORTIONS PROJECTING INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE HOUSING THROUGH THE OPENING AT THE FORWARD END OF THE GROOVE, A PLUNGER IN SAID HOLE, A RING HAVING A CENTRAL APERTURE THROUGH WHICH THE PLUNGER PROJECTS, A GROUND PLUG PROJECTING FROM THE RING INTO SAID HOLE, AND A SHORTING BAR CARRIED BY THE PLUNGER AND CONTACTING THE RAIL PORTION AND GROUND LUG IN ONE POSITION OF THE PLUNGER AND BEING OUT OF CONTACT WITH THE RAIL PORTION IN ANOTHER POSITION OF THE PLUNGER. 